


Happy Valentine's Day

by ElliottRookArchive (ElliottRook)



Category: Digimon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-18
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23377459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliottRook/pseuds/ElliottRookArchive
Summary: This is pretty much just a series of vignettes in the same vein as "And So It Was...Before It Began," only this time it covers three separate Valentine's Days in the lives of the DigiDestined. There's one chapter for each of the first three seasons.
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Inoue Miyako | Yolei Inoue, Katou Juri | Jeri Katou/Matsuda Takato | Takato Matsuki, Kido Jou | Joe Kido/Tachikawa Mimi, Lee Jianliang | Henry Wong & Makino Ruki | Rika Nonaka, Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya, Takenouchi Sora/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In Japan, on Valentine's Day, girls give chocolate to the guys. Guys have White Day on March 14th to reciprocate.

Taichi Kamiya had never understood the fuss over Valentine's Day, or rather, the romantic fuss. Of course, most people within families gave each other chocolate just because they had an excuse, and that didn't bother him at all, but why girls had to get so emotional was beyond him.

Until this year.

Over the summer, he had fallen deeply in love--well, as deeply as a fourteen-year-old could fall--with _her_.

Sora Takenouchi.

She was pretty, she was smart, she was fun and funny, she looked out for others before herself. They'd gone through quite a lot together, and so, this Valentine's Day, he was hoping he would be lucky enough to get a gift.

But, he worried that she might chicken out. So he had come to school prepared.

He bought a beautiful yellow rose on the way to school, and was now outside, hastily scribbling a note--"Don't Be Afraid". He stuck the stem of the rose through the notebook paper so it wouldn't fall off. Then he hurried inside before Sora showed up. He went to her locker and threaded it through the vent so it would be right there on the door. He adjusted his note so she'd spot it quickly and ran before anyone started spreading the rumor that he'd done it--and you never knew, the hallways were starting to fill up.

Maybe Sora would be encouraged and admit that she liked him--he knew she did.

On the other hand, maybe she didn't have a present for him. Maybe she didn't like him.

Maybe she'd think it was so unlike Taichi that she'd guess it was from someone else and not give Taichi his present so she wouldn't hurt the other person's feelings.

Maybe she'd guess it was from someone else and give the present she'd originally meant for Taichi to the other guy!

Taichi was about to go to her locker and take it back when she showed up. He immediately began fumbling with his own locker so he could hide behind it and still listen.

* * *

Hikari had no reason to get to school early, so she'd ridden the bus.

Today was Valentine's Day. She had never really participated in it before. She knew that in America, you gave corny little cards to your whole class, but in Japan, you only gave them to people you were close to. She usually got a little box of chocolates from her brother just because he was a sweet sibling, and she gave a box to him and her daddy.

But this year--things had changed. They'd spent their summer in the Digital World. She'd made some very close friends--one more so than anyone else.

And so, today, she was giving him a box of chocolate. Not because she loved him--she was only eleven, for pity's sake!--but because he was a very dear, close friend, and she wanted to make him happy.

She patted her backpack pocket. It was still there. She'd give it to him after the last class of the day.

* * *

Sora and Mimi had walked to school together. Sora was laughing over a joke Mimi had told her when she saw her locker. She turned to Mimi. "Oh, look...how beautiful!"

"It's yellow..." Mimi said, wrinkling her nose.

"Not everyone likes pink, you know."

"Even if I didn't, it's still the Valentine color..."

"I think that if a guy is trying to impress a girl, he should get her what she likes."

"Well, in that case, I guess whoever sent this did a good job for you..."

Sora smiled. "Hey, Mimi, there's a note. 'Don't be afraid.' I think I know who sent this."

Mimi giggled. "Who?"

Sora looked around. She caught Taichi's eye, and Taichi immediately looked away and tried to watch through the vent on his own locker. She leaned over and whispered in Mimi's ear. "Tai..."

Mimi gasped. "Really?! Do _you_ like _him_?"

Sora blushingly nodded.

"Did you get him a--"

"Yeah...I wasn't sure I was going to give it to him, but now I know I will. Any guy who's bold enough to admit that he _wants_ a valentine _deserves_ it in my book."

The two girls headed off for their first class, Sora carrying her rose atop her books.

* * *

Taichi heaved a sigh of relief. He grabbed his books and headed for the same class. Well, he'd done it right. Now all he had to do was hope that Sora knew it was from him.

* * *

Sora knew. Taichi Kamiya. It was very like him, telling her not to be afraid. How many times had he said that very thing in the Digital World? So protective, and yet...so...encouraging.

This was the first year she'd bought a present for a guy. She'd never fallen in love before, nor had she been looking to when she had. That's how she knew it was real--she hadn't been trying to get a boyfriend, for social status or any other reason. It had just happened.

And now, this holiday conveniently came around to give her a good reason to tell him she liked him.

His present--a silly action figure and a small box of chocolates--was tucked away in her backpack until after school. She wanted to be alone with him--there was stuff to talk about, stuff she didn't want to share with anyone but him...

* * *

Mimi sat in her first classroom of the day, waiting for the teacher to show up. Or even some other students.

Valentine's Day...she'd given a valentine to some guy every year since she'd started school. In kindergarten, it was the adorable kid who could make playdough people and swallowed a quarter. Third grade was the boy who could do all kinds of yo-yo tricks. Sixth grade, it was the only boy in class who used gel in his hair. It had never been the same person twice in a row. And always, always, the most eligible bachelor in class by that class's standards.

She'd never gotten a boyfriend from giving a valentine, though. The trouble with giving your valentine to the most popular boy in class was that he had at least fifteen other girls giving him valentines, too. And the boy always chose someone else over Mimi.

It wasn't that Mimi wasn't popular. Ask any girl, Mimi was the most popular girl in school! But guys tended to shy away from her. Not because she wasn't pretty--all the guys agreed that she was definitely a looker--but because she was different. She had quirky little "eccentricities", and most guys preferred her less hyper friends.

Now, however, she was in ninth grade, and things were all changed. She wasn't giving her valentine to a popular boy. All her friends would think she was crazy. He wasn't in her class, not even in her grade. He was two years older than her!

But, during her time in the DigiWorld, she'd fallen completely, totally, head-over-heels for him.

Jou Kido.

He was studious, focused on grades, somewhat of a dork--at least when it came to fashion. But Mimi liked him. The way he could be such a chicken, but always came through, the way he chewed on a pencil when he was trying to think, the way he...

The way he cared about her.

Mimi was quite sure he cared about her. He'd gone along with her when she'd run from the group, tired of fighting. He was concerned about her, at the very least. But the whole group worried about her, and he was the only one who got up the guts to tag along with her and make sure she stayed safe.

She certainly hoped he cared about her, at least as much as she cared about him.

* * *

Jou Kido sat in his second class for the day. He was checking over his homework.

Or, at least, he was trying to. He couldn't focus.

He knew, quite well, what day it was. He often got picked on the day after because nobody ever gave him a present. Not beaten up, just teased.

Who wrote the law that said if you focused on grades and not girls, you were a loser?

Oh well. He could always take comfort in the thought that in fifteen years, girls would flock to him and his doctor's salary, while his classmates would be pumping gas because of their "F" report cards, or working their way up the corporate ladder leaving no time for relationships.

It was kind of sad, though, that finally, he at least wanted a present this year, and there was no way he'd get it.

He wasn't into girls in general, but, there was one special girl.

That was the trouble. She was _too_ special. Lots of guys liked her, she liked popular guys, so she'd probably be some jock's "perfect match" by the end of the day.

Jou sighed. He knew that his income and career hinged on getting good grades and becoming a doctor, but why did his social life and marriage potential have to follow suit?

* * *

Yamato sat at lunch with Taichi. Taichi was complaining about his girl troubles.

"Matt, I don't get it. She said she was going to give it to who she thought it was from. Do you think she thinks it came from someone else?"

Yamato sighed. "Tai, she likes you. It's obvious to everyone except you that she's carrying a torch for you. If you haven't gotten your little present yet, it probably means that she's waiting until you're alone with her, or at least until after school, or something special."

"You think?"

"Well, if she told Mimi that she likes whoever gave it to her, we know she knows you gave it to her, because we know she likes you. She told Mimi that she would give it to who she likes. I predict you have a girlfriend by dinnertime."

"Really?"

Yamato sighed. Why was this so hard to get through his head? "I'd be willing to put money on it."

"How much you got?"

"Figure of speech, I'm broke, and besides, would you want her to find out you put money on her once she is your girlfriend?"

"No, but how would she...?"

"You've ticked me off before, you'll probably do it again."

Taichi sighed. "I just wish the good part of this day would come..."

Yamato leaned back in his chair, bringing the front two legs off the floor. "It will. Now quit yammering and think about other stuff."

"Like what?"

"Oh, the fact that you just downed an entire tray of cafeteria food, which you have always hated, and didn't even blink."

Taichi looked down at his empty tray. "Excuse me, Matt." He stood up. "I have to get to the bathroom...I gotta puke..."

Yamato grinned wickedly as his friend disappeared in the sea of students.

He didn't understand why Taichi was so worked up. If she liked him, she liked him, and if not, then she didn't. Simple. Then again, Yamato had never really been in love. He really _couldn't_ understand it, he supposed.

He wondered, briefly, what his friend was going through--and wondered if he was missing anything. There had been that girl across the street, once, who claimed she liked him, but nothing ever came of that.

Yamato knew that a lot of girls thought he was handsome--"a total DiCaprio," one girl had said, not knowing he could hear her--and he rather enjoyed annoying girls by not being interested.

Oh, well, maybe someday it would make sense to him.

* * *

Koushirou Izumi sat at a computer in the school library. It was his study hall time, and he was glad. Granted, he had his laptop, but if he used that, he'd be required to sit in the actual study hall. By claiming he had to use the school computer for research--which wasn't a lie, he _did_ have research to do--he could get a pass to the library.

And the library was the best place to be today. The library was much stricter about the "no-talking" rule than the study hall.

And, frankly, Koushirou was sick of the conversations going on in study hall. And at lunch. And before and after every class, and in the bathrooms, ubiquitous throughout school.

It was all valentines, valentines, valentines.

Was there nothing else important going on in the world? And why did people have to be so noisy about it? He thought that love and romance were delicate subjects, more meaningfully discussed in quiet tones in private places, not yelled at lung capacity across a tumultuous gymnasium.

Seriously, if a girl liked a guy, she'd tell him. If she was too shy, she might just not be worth having. It was driving Koushirou insane.

And then the whole bit of other guys--some acquaintances, some not--asking who he wanted a valentine from. Why should they care? He didn't probe into their lives, asking them such personal questions. Things only close friends should ask.

And he really didn't want a valentine. He'd bought his mom a rose, and she'd give both him and his dad a box of chocolates, and they'd have dinner, watch some TV, and go to bed. No big deal.

He sighed and scrolled down another webpage with one of those cool mouses that had a wheel in between the buttons. He'd have to look into getting one for his computer at home...

* * *

Finally, the last of the school day arrived. Sora sighed in relief as the final bell rang.

She gathered her things and scurried out of the classroom. She got out in the hall and looked up to her left. Taichi was coming out of his last class, across the hall.

"Tai!" she called.

Taichi looked up and caught sight of her.

"Meet me on the soccer field ASAP!"

A wolf whistle sounded from some anonymous kid, but both Taichi and Sora ignored it and Taichi nodded an eager yes.

* * *

Mimi fought the swarms of kids heading for the door and looked for classroom number 307.

304, 306. She looked at the other side of the hall. 307.

She entered the room slowly, almost cautiously.

He was still sitting there at his desk, just like she'd figured he would be.

"Joe?"

Jou looked up. "Mimi? Hi. What are you doing here?"

Mimi blushed. "I--I have something for you." She produced a package wrapped in pink paper from behind her back. There was a red heart-shaped sticker holding the paper in place, and scribbled next to it in red gel pen were the words "To Joe, from Mimi. Happy V-Day."

"For me?" he asked, curiously. There was no way she could mean that pretty present for him.

"Yes, for you." She pushed it not-so-gently into his hands. "Open it!"

"Oh...okay." He unwrapped it like he did all presents, running his fingers under the edges and lifting the tape very carefully, mindful of the paper. It was a square box of chocolates, and a card in a pink envelope that matched the paper. He opened the card.

It was handmade, by Mimi. A piece of white, thick paper, with a pink heart drawn on it. Inside the heart were red letters reading, "Mimi+Joe?"

He looked up at her.

She was blushing, far past the pink of the wrapping paper and fast approaching the red of the heart sticker. "Happy Valentine's Day, Joe. Will you--would you like to be mine? I--I love you."

Jou stood from his desk, abandoning the chocolates to focus on Mimi, taking her hands in his and moving to stand very close to her. So close...

"I love you, too, Mimi..." he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "Happy Valentine's Day." His soft speaking of the words she'd longed to hear stirred the air, tickling her nose.

He leaned down a bit and pressed his lips to hers. She threw her arms around his neck and smiled around his kiss. Her first kiss.

This was the Valentine's Day they'd both remember for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Takeru Takaishi was almost to the bus when he heard it.

"T.K.!"

He turned to see who called him. "Hey, Kari!" He walked towards her. "What's up?"

She smiled. "I wanted to give you this." She pulled a box of chocolates from behind her back and gave it to him. "Just 'cause you're my very best friend."

Takeru smiled. "Thanks, Kari. That's so sweet."

"You're welcome."

Takeru opened the lid and took out one chocolate, and held the box towards her. "Take one!"

"But I just gave them to you!"

He tilted his head at her. "Just do it."

She took one and he carefully replaced the lid so none of the precious sweets would be damaged. He held his candy up as if to make a chocolate toast. "To being best friends!"

Kari laughed and held hers up, tapping his. "Best friends!"

They both ate their chocolates.

"Kari?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's always be friends, okay?"

Hikari blinked at him. "Okay."

The next-to-last kid scrambling aboard the bus turned around. "Hey, T.K.! You're gonna miss your ride if you don't hurry up!"

Takeru gasped. "I gotta go, Kari! See you tomorrow!" He ran for his bus and disappeared behind the yellow-framed glass panes.

Hikari watched his bus drive away, and then...

"Oh, man! I have a bus to catch, too! Oh, great..."

* * *

Yamato and Koushirou shared a seat on the bus like they always did. Takeru was in the seat in front of them, and he leaned over the seat to offer the two a chocolate.

"Thanks, little bro," Yamato said, taking a chocolate and passing one to Koushirou. "Where'd you get 'em?"

Takeru blinked. "From Kari."

"Nice of you to share Valentine chocolates."

"Yeah, thanks," Koushirou added.

"She gave them to me because we're very best friends!" Takeru said, smilingly.

Yamato grinned. "That's great, T.K.."

Takeru's seatmate, a boy his own age, tugged at his sleeve, and Takeru sat back down to share the wealth.

Yamato turned his face away from the window, facing Izzy. "It's kind of sad when an almost-sixteen-year-old guy gets not so much as a card or a glance on Valentine's Day and his just-turned-eleven-year-old brother hits paydirt with a girl." He bit into his chocolate thoughtfully. "Ooh, cherry filling."

Koushirou wrinkled his nose. "You like someone?"

Yamato stifled a laugh. "Nah. It's just that usually some chick gives me a present hoping it'll make me like her. It doesn't work. It takes a lot more than a box of chocolate to impress Ishida."

Koushirou nodded. "I'll have to agree with you there. This holiday is utterly irrelevant. We don't even get off of school."

"I think that's because of all those people who actually want to give or get Valentines, y'know? Some people may not know where their crush lives, and they want to give their gift at school."

"Next year, I'm faking sick. I almost did get sick, listening to all those mentally deteriorative conversations."

Yamato groaned in agreement. "Yeah, I think I'll try to catch it from you. I had to spend half the lunch hour listening to Tai rambling over the same thing over and over..."

"Sora?"

"I was right! I told him everyone knew she liked him but him..."

Koushirou laughed. "I'll bet even T.K. and Kari have noticed."

"Well, T.K. has. But anyway, it was kind of funny near the end. See, he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, and he ate and entire tray from the cafeteria..."

"Is he okay?" Koushirou asked, the concern in his voice not there sarcastically.

"Well, he left, headed for the bathroom. He swears all he did was wash his mouth out in the sink, but other sources say he hurled..."

Koushirou's eyes widened. "I always knew mystery meat was deadly. He's probably lucky he did hurl, it kept it from contaminating his immune system..."

Yamato did laugh that time. "Yeah...either way, the evidence is down the drain, so I guess we'll never know."

"So Tai and Sora are getting together?"

"Yeah, probably. I heard a rumor about Mimi asking some people where Joe's classroom was, but for all I know she was looking for a tutor, so I guess we'll see tomorrow."

"Yeah, guess so..."

* * *

Taichi sat on the bottom row of bleachers, on the end nearest the school, using a soccer ball for an ottoman.

Had Sora decided to stand him up? Was she just forgetting about it?

After an eternity, he finally saw her coming. He thought about running to meet her, but turned the idea down in favor of watching her walk towards him. The way she moved was enchanting, really.

"Hi, Tai."

He stood as she got closer. "Hey, Sora...what's up?"

"Oh, not much..." she set her backpack where he had been sitting. "How about you?"

"No, not that much..."

Sora was fishing through her backpack. At last, she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a small package and handed it to Taichi, blushing. "Happy Valentine's Day, Tai."

He opened the package quickly, stuffing the paper in his backpack to throw away later.

"Aw, Sora, chocolate? And a robot? You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to, Tai."

Taichi set his presents atop his backpack and gulped.

"And, besides, weren't you the one who left me the rose?" She pointed to it, sticking out of a pocket of her backpack.

She took one step closer to him, and although their proximity was starting to affect Taichi, he didn't dare to take a step back. "I--I--yeah. You knew?"

She grinned, and took his hand. "Yeah...I knew." She'd lowered her voice and she smiled at him, making him nervous.

He took one half-step closer to her. Any closer and they'd be hugging. "I...I..."

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her with all he had. She kissed him back, tentatively at first, and stronger as the moments progressed.

When they finally had to come up for air, he smiled down at her. Their noses were still touching. Taichi broke the silence. "I...I...I'm having a really hard time thinking right about now..."

"I love you, Tai..."

"Way to make it harder...I love you, too, Sora...would...would you...would you like to be...my...my girlfriend?"

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again in answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Daisuke Motomiya, Takeru Takaishi, and Hikari Kamiya were walking to school together that February morning, per usual.

"So, what do you think of V-Day?" Daisuke asked Takeru.

"V-Day?"

"Valentine's. I like to think of it as V-Day because I think of Veemon."

Hikari chuckled. "Good one."

Takeru frowned. "I don't know...it's okay, but I think the chocolate would be better if I actually knew the names of the girls who tried to give it to me."

"So many chicks, so little time, eh, T.K.?" Hikari teased.

"Hey, don't joke, Hikari. I heard a couple of guys in the locker room talking about you..."

"It better have been nice."

Takeru grinned mischievously. "Oh, it was nice...it wasn't all exactly _repeatable_ , but it was nice..."

Hikari smacked him on the arm, and then smacked Daisuke's arm, too, for good measure. She wasn't sure if he was smiling at Takeru's remark or at her smacking Takeru.

No one brought up the subject of who the other two wanted Valentines to or from. Both guys had seen the white-wrapped present poking out of Hikari's backpack. Hikari didn't want to say who it was for, for fear of upsetting either of the guys by its being for the other. Takeru didn't want to know, because he didn't want it, but didn't want to hurt her or Daisuke if it was for him. Daisuke didn't want to know, because he was sure it was for Takeru, and it was killing him. He wished it was for him, but he knew that there was simply no way Hikari could ever like him that way.

It was going to be a very frustrating day...

* * *

Iori Hida walked to school alone. He hadn't wanted to hear another word about Miyako's Valentine. He knew exactly what her lucky guy was getting, the color of the paper it was wrapped in, how she planned to give it to him, where, when. He knew everything except who she was giving it to. He suspected it was Ken, but he never let on. Miyako would get upset.

So, Iori had a peaceful walk to reflect on Valentine's Day. The whole concept of the holiday was over his head. If someone really loved someone else, why should they wait until February fourteenth? They should say something as soon as they realized it. He supposed it was okay for people who were already in love, a day to remember and celebrate their love, but new confessions just because of a holiday? It seemed kind of silly, in his mind.

And then, there was Miyako. She seemed to view it as the most important holiday of the year besides Christmas. She'd had crushes before, and celebrated before, but she'd never gone to such trouble in giving a valentine. This guy--Ken--was really special.

Iori sighed. School was in sight, and he saw some of his friends. On to meet the day. Hopefully the kids in his grade weren't as obsessed as Miyako...

* * *

Sora stood, leaning against a tree, waiting for Taichi. She had chocolate and an action figure--which he really was too old for--for him, just like the past three years. It was their tradition.

Finally, he arrived on the scene. Sora loved the way he looked in his crisp, green uniform, although she found her own very irritating to wear all the time. Taichi had assured her several times that the feeling was mutual.

"Tai!"

He spotted her and greeted her with a kiss, just like every morning. "Good morning, Sora."

"Happy Valentine's, love," she said, handing him his present. She hadn't bothered to wrap it.

He smiled. "Thanks." He kissed her again. "And, this year, I'm giving you something in return."

"What?"

"You're free tonight, right?"

"Uh...right..."

"Then after school, go home and put on a nice outfit and I'll pick you up as soon as I can."

She blinked. "Um...okay..."

The bell rang, startling the curiosity out of the moment. "I'll see you around, in class, Sora. Thanks again!"

* * *

Miyako sat in her third class, already thinking the school day would never end.

Normally, she would have given her Valentine already, but this year, she'd fallen for someone. Someone who just happened to go to a different school.

At the start of the last school year, they hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start. Miyako had made some new friends (human and otherwise) and gotten herself thrown into a brand-new world where she had to fight and protect everything, almost before she knew whose side she was on.

And he had been her main enemy.

Her heart had been broken, learning that he was one and the same as her all-time crush.

And then, everything had changed. They defeated him. They won. It was their first major victory, but there had been little joy in it for Miyako. By that time she understood that he hadn't planned to become a supervillain. It had happened, with little or nothing he could have done to stop it.

And also by that time, she had fallen hopelessly in love--this was not just a crush. It had deeply hurt her to see him in agony over what he had done unwittingly.

But she put it out of her mind. He went into the shadows for a while, to recover from the shock of it, and she tried to focus with her friends on cleaning his work out of the Digital World. The trouble with that was whenever she saw his handiwork, his brainchild, she couldn't help but think of him, and what he had been. She tried to convince herself that he had changed, but it was a very difficult task.

Then things happened. He joined their group, and was always trying to prove he was sorry for what he had done. It took him a while, but eventually he did realize that he had done more than enough to atone. Miyako, and the rest of the group, had all long since forgiven him.

What he still hadn't realized was that Miyako had grown to love him even more. Once she saw firsthand how he had changed, she realized that there was nothing wrong with the way she felt about him, and she shouldn't hide it. So she had quit trying to, but he was oblivious. Even though his guilt and drive to make amends were gone, the feeling of inferiority was something that would always be there. He refused to believe that good things could happen to one who had done so much bad--even if he wasn't in control of his own mind at the time, it was still his hand that had done the work.

So Miyako had decided to show him. She was going to march right over to Odaiba's finest private school and give her valentine to their finest student.

She could hardly wait to see him!

* * *

Daisuke sat eating his lunch, quite alone. Takeru and Hikari were nowhere to be found. He'd been right, she had meant the present for Takeru after all.

Why couldn't Hikari see that he cared about her? Why?

Just because his ways of showing it were unconventional (at best), it didn't mean that he should be scorned.

True, Takeru had known her longer, since they were, like, four, but that shouldn't make any difference. If people had to end up with whoever they'd known the longest, most people would be married to immediate family members.

And he was friends with Takeru. Daisuke had decided that his relationship with Hikari (or lack thereof) shouldn't get between him and other people, so he and Takeru had quit arguing and become friends. And they'd talked about it, there had been no getting around it. Takeru knew that Daisuke truly loved Hikari, and Daisuke knew that Takeru didn't want a romantic relationship with her.

So, maybe nothing would come of her valentine.

But then, she'd be hurt...

This day stunk...and it wasn't even over, yet...

* * *

Ken Ichijouji banged his head against his locker door. "I swear, if one more girl asks if I have someone special in mind today, I am going to scream."

A boy at the next locker snickered. "I'm a guy. Can I ask?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"Yes. I am completely, totally, madly in love with her, and she doesn't even like me, and furthermore, she doesn't even go to this school." Ken sighed. "Hey, spread the word, would you? If it keeps one girl from approaching me, your effort will be worth it."

The guy shrugged. "Whatever you say, Ichijouji."

Ken had never had a problem with all the attention that girls gave him on Valentine's Day until this year, now that he actually liked a girl. Miyako Inoue had stolen his heart, and he really wished that the rest of the girls in the world would just leave him alone.

"Hey, Ichijouji," a female voice said, accompanied by a tap on his shoulder.

Ken groaned. This was becoming a very long day.

* * *

Takeru and Hikari were together, eating lunch outside.

"Well, I'm finished," Takeru announced.

"Me too. Time for dessert."

"Huh?"

Hikari started fishing through her backpack. "T.K., do you remember the year after we defeated Myotismon, I gave you chocolate on Valentine's Day and we promised to always be friends?"

"Uh, yeah..."

She pulled a thin box wrapped in white paper out of her backpack. "Well, in the spirit of that, I want to give you this. But, Takeru--" this was serious business-- "This is not my valentine."

He opened the package, revealing a box of chocolates. "Thanks, Kari...but if this isn't your valentine..."

"I, uh, have another present..."

Takeru nodded. "You can tell me all about it after you give it to...whoever. It's okay...Kari?"

Hikari was crying.

"Are you okay?"

"Are you upset?"

Takeru smiled. So that's what this was about. She didn't want him to feel like her choice of another guy was shutting him out. "No, no, Hikari, I'm not. I'm not." He pulled her into a hug. "I care about you, Hikari, but not that way. I...I want you to find someone else."

She pulled away from him just a little, but his arm was still over her shoulders. "Really?"

"Yeah. I do. I feel like you're the sister I never had, you know? And dating my sister is not...well, I think you get the picture."

"Yeah. I feel the same way about you. I mean, I have a brother, but sometimes I think you know me better than Tai does...I...I'm glad you don't like me that way."

Takeru offered her one of his chocolates, and this time, she took it without hesitation.

"To best friendship!" Takeru said.

She tapped her bit of candy against his. "Friends forever!"

They ate their chocolates and smiled. A bell rang in the distance, closer to the school building.

Takeru pressed a kiss to Hikari's cheek. "That's for good luck, when you give him your valentine. Now, if we don't hurry, we'll be late to class..."

Hikari smiled. "You promise not to be upset?"

"I promise."

"No matter who he is?"

"So long as you like him and he likes you, it's fine by me."

"Oh, I know he likes me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, first."

* * *

Next-to-last-period. Study hall.

Jun Motomiya smiled. Study hall was the only period she had with Yamato all day.

She had decided that sneaking up on him and making an idiot of herself would get her nowhere. She was just going to sit next to him, quietly, and not make a big scene, and, hopefully, she wouldn't run him off.

She entered the study hall and spotted him. She did like she'd planned, quietly took a seat in the chair next to him.

"Hi, Matt."

He looked up. He hadn't noticed her walking in. "Oh...um...hi, Jun..." He was too polite to run from her when she could see him.

Things were definitely working in her favor today.

"I, uh...have something for you." She blushed. She unzipped an outer pocket on her backpack and pulled out a box of chocolates. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Yamato stared quietly for a moment. "For...for me?"

She smiled, blushing to beat the band, and giggled slightly as she nodded.

"Um...Jun...we need to talk."

She tilted her head. "What about?" Her smile faded, just a little.

"Look, Jun...I'm not trying to hurt your feelings...but, I...I don't like you that way."

She blinked. "But, Matt..."

"Wait. I'm not finished. It's not that I hate you. I don't hate you, Jun, I don't hate anybody save for evil Digimon--you have heard about them, right?"

"They're popping up all over the world now. How could I not hear about them?"

"Right. Good. Anyway, like I was saying, it's just that I don't like you in _that_ way. There's no special girl in my life right now, and I'm using the time to focus on other things, like my music, and bringing my grades up this year so I can get into a decent college. Now, if you want to set aside this crush--don't tell yourself it's more than just a crush--we can get to know each other and be friends. Just friends."

Jun sighed. "I--I feel--kind of disappointed, Matt..."

"If you need a few days--to--to think about it--"

"Yeah...I think I do." She started to get up and move to another part of the table.

"Hey, Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you go...just, just be aware that there aren't many girls who get up the nerve to even try and give me a valentine. You've got pluck, and I admire that."

She smiled again.

"And, out of the ten or so that have tried to get me to take their chocolate, I've only accepted one box."

Jun blinked. Her box. It was sitting on the table in front of him.

"It doesn't mean that I like you that way. It just means that you stand out above the crowd and I wouldn't mind being friends."

She nodded. "Oh...okay. I--I'll see you around...in a day or two..."

He smiled. "Great."

* * *

Miyako stood, waiting, at the gate of the high fence that surrounded Ken's school. Floods of teenagers were pouring out, and she was surprised that she didn't get trampled. There were a few students who remarked that she shouldn't have been there, suggesting that she wasn't good enough for anyone in their school because she didn't go there.

Well, she'd show them. She was good enough for the most popular boy in their school, and furthermore, he didn't consider himself good enough for anyone!

But all that aside, she just wanted her quiet moment with Ken to confess her love.

He was one of the last students to trail out. "Yolei-san?"

A couple of the other students still in the vicinity stared at this outsider called "san" by the Great Ichijouji. She must be someone really special, especially if he knew her by name. She laughed mentally at what they might think if they knew it was as personal as a nickname.

"Hi, Ken."

"What--what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to give you my valentine." She pushed a heart-shaped box of chocolates into his hands. She smiled brightly. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ken-kun."

He took it, blushingly, hands nearly trembling. "Oh, Yolei-san...I...I...I don't deserve this...you didn't have to do this...I was fine, you didn't need to cheer me up..."

"But, Ken, you _do_ deserve it! I...I just want you to know...that...that I...I love you."

He looked her straight in the eyes. "Oh, no. You...you couldn't...I don't deserve to be loved..."

"But you do! You're sorry for what you did and it's all said and done. It's part of the past...and besides...I loved you then, too...even when I knew who you were...and especially after we found out Arukenimon was controlling you...it's not your fault, and I care about you, Ken...I do. I really do."

He was taken aback. "Even when I was...? You loved me then?"

"You. Not the things you did, by any standard, but you. I never stopped loving you." She stepped forward impulsively and kissed him, quickly but tenderly, on the lips.

He flinched, more from surprise than anything else, but he didn't step away. The kiss didn't last long, no more than a few seconds, but Ken got the message.

"You... _do_...care about me."

"I love you, Ken."

"I...I love you, too, Yolei...I...I...I just don't deserve you..."

"Oh, forget about that. Some of your schoolmates didn't even think I was good enough to be on a first-name basis with you. If I love you and you love me it doesn't matter what either of us _deserves_ , because we both have what we want and neither of us is complaining."

Ken pondered the wisdom in that. "Yolei...that actually makes a lot of sense..."

She held out her hand. "So what do you say? Should you and me give it a go?"

He grasped her hand firmly in his. "Yeah. We should. Definitely." He reached up to her face with his free hand and brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. He then leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

Daisuke was leaning against a tree outside of school, sulking. No present from anyone through the whole day.

Which translated to no present from Hikari.

He'd chatted with his sister, who was all gushy over Matt...apparently, he'd said they could be friends. Jun was so weird.

Daisuke was already friends with Hikari, so that was no big deal.

Of course, he hadn't really talked to Hikari or Takeru throughout the whole day...maybe she hadn't given it to Takeru. Maybe it was some other guy. That wouldn't sting nearly so much.

But it would still sting.

Daisuke could have sworn that this holiday was invented by someone who loved to see broken-hearted people. A dating service, maybe.

He watched the kids leaving the school. There went Takeru.

Takeru. Alone.

Daisuke barely had any time to think about what it meant before Hikari leaned over the rail of the steps and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Davis!"

He looked up at her. She was so beautiful. "Uh, hi..."

"Hey, can you meet me at the park in about half-an-hour?"

He blinked. "Sure!" He tried to sound enthusiastic. He was sure she wanted to talk to him about Takeru, or maybe she was going to introduce him to some other guy, her new boyfriend.

"Great! I'll be waiting!"

* * *

Koushirou dumped his backpack on his bed and followed suit, flopping onto his back. "Could there be a worse holiday?" He still didn't like it that much.

He got up and turned on the computer, and logged on to the Internet. While waiting for it to dial, he reflected on his day.

He'd been teased because no one had given him a present. When he said he didn't want one, the jokes really started flying. Then he tried to explain that love was something to be celebrated, not ridiculed or advertised. No one had been mature enough to listen.

Although, he wouldn't mind if a special girl came into his life right then. Things were good, he felt he was ready for a relationship.

Of course, who wanted to be the girlfriend of a computer geek? He sighed.

"You! Have! One! New! Message!" the monotone blared.

It was from an Internet pal of his. The message read, "Galitea6040 has sent you an e-card! Click on the link below to retrieve."

"An e-card?" Izzy raised an eyebrow, but he clicked the link anyway.

He'd been IM-ing Galitea6040 for several months. They'd traded pictures, too. She was a pretty, young computer geek who lived on the northern end of Japan's main island whose real name was Mina--short for Minako. Blond hair, green eyes, rather attractive. She knew as much about computers as Koushirou. She thought Robin Williams was the funniest actor ever and took her Internet name from one of his movies. He knew she liked the color blue and marmalade on her toast and all kinds of things about her.

The e-card loaded. Corny music played through the speakers. The pink-heart-covered background bore a picture of a laptop and the words "Hey, Iz, from one dateless computer geek to another...Happy Valentine's! --Mina AKA Galitea6040"

Koushirou smiled.

* * *

Taichi rang the doorbell of the Takenouchi household.

Mr. Takenouchi answered the door. "Oh, hello, Tai. Sora will be ready in a minute."

"Yes sir, Mr. Takenouchi." Taichi stepped inside the door, not daring to come any further into the apartment above the flower shop, because he'd have to take his shoes off. He didn't have long to wait before Sora stepped into the hall.

"Whoa...Sora..."

"What? Am I overdressed?" she asked. She was wearing a satiny red knee-length skirt and a matching red spaghetti-strap shirt, with a red chenille shawl.

"No...you're just beautiful, that's all."

Sora smiled as Taichi took her arm and led her away. He was just wearing his school uniform, but for a change his shirttail was tucked in, it was buttoned all the way up, he was wearing the coat like a coat instead of with the sleeves tied around his waist, and he was actually wearing the tie.

"You look nice, yourself," Sora commented. "How long did it take you to tie your tie?"

"Kari tied it," he confessed.

Sora laughed.

It was a nice walk, not too long, not too short. He took her to the door of a nice restaurant.

"We're eating here?"

"Made the reservations about a month ago. I was lucky to get in, today of all days."

She smiled graciously. She knew this was going to put a big dent in his allowance.

They got inside, and Taichi smiled at the waiter. "Reservation for Kamiya and Takenouchi..."

Sora was taken aback. She'd never had a dinner anywhere this nice.

Their table was a booth, but it was nice. The glossy mahogany wood built into the wall, and went all the way up so that each booth was a tiny room of its own. The satiny drapes in front of it were drawn back only slightly and added to the effect. There was velvet upholstery, a lace tablecloth, about twenty-seven forks at each of their places, and a vanilla-scented candle burning.

"Oh, Tai...You didn't have to do this..."

He kissed her cheek. "I know. I did it because I love you." He helped her into her seat and sat across from her.

Sora smiled, looked into the eyes of the love of her life, and settled into her seat for the most romantic day of her life thus far.

* * *

Jou Kido leaned back in his chair. If he typed one more word, he was going to scream. This essay was killing him. As a matter of fact, the entire first year of college was killing him.

It didn't help that it was Valentine's Day and his Valentine was living in New York City.

He missed Mimi so much. Her smile, her laugh, her different perspective. Everything about her contrasted with him so well. The old adage, "opposites attract," was true for things besides magnets.

He sighed. He probably wouldn't get to see her often for two more years, when she came back to Japan for college--which she definitely was going to do. Mimi had never been entirely happy with the fact that her father's company had transferred him so far away. She often joked that she wished he would just commute.

The computer pinged. "You! Are! Receiving! One! New! E-mail!"

Jou minimized his essay and opened the mail program. The subject line read "valentine for Jou". Only one person spelled his name that way instead of "Joe." "It's from Mimi!"

Mimi had finally seen the good part of computers when she'd discovered the Internet for herself. She now had many e-mail friends, and kept in touch with the old group via computer.

The message read, "Hi Jou-kun!! Open the attached file and enjoy! 4ever yours, Mimi-chan."

Jou noticed it was a large file, and wondered what it could be. He clicked and his video player opened, displaying a screen reading "downloading, please wait..." Finally it loaded to display Mimi, sitting cross-legged on a wooden chair in front of a buttercream yellow wall. Jou pressed play and Mimi started talking.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jou-kun! I'm at Michael's house, and he's taping this for me with his digital camera. This is too cool, my next splurge is going to be getting one of these things. Anyway, I wanted to get you something really special this year, and he helped me think of this. Isn't it the sweetest? Hey, did you know that here in America the guys give the stuff to girls on Valentine's? Isn't that weird? But you probably knew that, you're so smart and all. I can't wait to see you again--and it may be sooner than we thought, because Sora's invited me to visit her for an entire week during spring break. I've got Mom convinced that I'll just absolutely die if I don't get to go--which wasn't hard, because it's true--and we're working on Dad. At this point, I'm willing to give up everything to come see you and Sora and the gang...well, maybe not _everything_ \--I mean, doing something like becoming a nun might interfere with our plans for the future, right?" She giggled. "How's everything going with you? School killing you yet? Don't work too hard. I don't want to come home to a falling-apart boyfriend. No bags under your eyes, okay? Anyway, I just thought I'd tell you that I love you, and I miss you. I'm not sure which one I feel more. No, wait. I love you more. But I miss you terribly. Does that make sense?" Mimi smiled. "Love you lots! Ignore those college girls, I'm more fun! I love you, Jou-kun!" She blew kisses to the camera and made V's with her fingers. "V for valentine!" She put her hands up by her face and the video clip ended with the still shot.

Jou brought up his mail program to write her back and thank her.

He wondered if he should consider getting himself one of those digital cameras...

* * *

Daisuke waited in the park, sitting in a swing until Hikari showed up. Most of the benches were taken up by couples involved in romantic moments.

He sighed. Why did everything have to remind him of romance? Romance, of course, only made him think of her. She made him think of lots of things that he'd never think of on his own. A lot of which ended up back at romance.

"Hi, Davis!" she called. He turned his swing around to face her, crossing the chains over his head. His boots ground into the sand, making interesting marks. He finally looked up at her.

She was alone. That was a good sign, at least she wasn't trying to rub her new boyfriend in his face.

She got closer. Her arms were behind her back, like she was hiding something.

"Hi," he said, half-heartedly.

"I was going to do this right after school, but I had to go home real quick first."

He tilted his head. "Do what?"

"Give you this. I forgot it when I packed my backpack this morning." She brought her arms around front, and he realized she was offering him a package wrapped in pink paper.

"For me?" he asked.

"Do you see anyone else here? Yes, silly. Here's my valentine. Happy V-Day, Davis."

He took it from her, stunned. "I...I thought you were giving this to T.K....wait, no, that thing in your backpack was white..."

She blushed. "I did give him chocolate today, for old time's sake. It's a tradition between us, I give it to him just because we're such close friends. I have every year ever since we were ten. But, Davis, I know what you think, and it's not true. I don't like him romantically. I never really have. I gave him a symbol of our friendship and the promise that it'll last. I'm giving _you_ my valentine."

Daisuke began to understand. "Does he understand this?"

Hikari was glad to see that he was concerned for his friend. "Yeah, I talked with him over lunch, when I gave him his chocolate. He said he was okay with it...I mean, he doesn't know it's you, he doesn't know who it is, but he said he'd be thrilled for me no matter who it was."

"So...you like me...that way?"

"Davis...Daisuke...I _do_ care about you that way. I love you."

His jaw dropped.

"I know I didn't always act like it...but you know, I didn't realize it for the longest time. I used to get annoyed by you always putting pressure on me...and then, with the whole Arukenimon thing, you stopped...and I kind of missed it. And when it was over, it gave us time to really get to know each other...and it slowly kind of dawned on me. I love you."

Daisuke stared. "Really? You love me? Not T.K.?"

"Yes, I do..."

He stood up out of the swing, leaving the chocolates in the seat, forgotten momentarily. He hadn't realized that doing so would place his body right next to Hikari's, but there was no reason for him not to take advantage of his mistake. He put one arm around her back and the other around her waist and kissed her right then and there. Her arms trailed up to encircle his neck and she kissed back with all she had in her.

Finally, they had to break it, but Daisuke didn't let go of her. Hikari didn't mind, he now officially had the right to be _slightly_ possessive.

"I feel like I'm dreaming...did I just actually kiss Hikari Kamiya?"

"No, actually, she did about half the kissing..."

Daisuke smiled. "Let's not keep count."

She smiled back. "Yeah, I think that's a really good idea..."


	3. Chapter 3

Takato Masuda slumped into his seat in his classroom. For once he wasn't late. He pulled a black pen from his pocket and opened his notebook to the first blank page and began to sketch to kill the time.

Other kids gradually began to fill the empty desks. His friends Hirokazu Shiota and Kenta Kitagawa took their seats. Juri Katou came in with a few of her girl friends.

Sensei Isaji entered the room and Takato was smart enough to close his notebook, at least until she got wrapped up in her lesson.

"Good morning, kids."

"Good morning, Sensei!" the class chorused back.

"I see that no one's late. Someone must be anxious to get a valentine." Giggles spread among the girls.

Valentine? Was it Valentine's Day again already? Takato looked at the calendar that was in the planner he never used. It _was_ Valentine's Day. Great, just what he needed. A bunch of giggling girls armed with chocolate.

Well, okay. That might not be so bad if they didn't always expect a kiss in return.

The kid behind him tapped his shoulder and Takato reached his hand behind him almost out of reflex, feeling a piece of paper quickly pressed into his hand. It was the easiest way to pass notes.

It had his name on it. Cool! He didn't even have to pass it on. He opened it.

"Do YOU want a valentine? Kazu"

Takato scribbled a response--"Chocolate, sure, girlfriend, maybe"--and passed it back the way it had come. It came back a few minutes later.

"Not me!!" The short sentence was accompanied by a few hearts with X's drawn through them.

"It depends on who's giving the chocolate, duh!"

The note didn't come back, so Takato tried to focus on Sensei Isaji, but about ten minutes later, another note came from Juri.

"Gotten any valentines? Juri" She'd drawn a heart with an arrow through it and lacy trim. She and Takato had a gift for art in common.

"No. Why?"

"Just wondering..." Next to the words was a self-portrait of Juri with a mischievous expression.

Takato scribbled a picture of himself with a confused expression. "Should I be worried?"

The note never came back, but Juri was smiling far too much for Takato's comfort.

* * *

Jenrya Lee sat in another classroom, one that was far more orderly and passed far fewer notes. He never had been able to make up his mind whether that was good or bad.

Today it was bad. Despite the orderliness, he couldn't focus on his teacher, and he was sure passing notes with Takato, Hirokazu, Kenta, or even Juri would have helped him pass the time.

Valentine's Day. That's what was on his mind. Both his older sisters and his younger sister had been able to think of nothing else the entire week. Shuichon's class was getting punch and cookies--which he didn't think was fair--and she was giving some chocolate to some boy in her class. Only in kindergarten, and she was already going through crushes. Poor kid. His older sisters both had it all figured out. The older one had a steady boyfriend, and the younger one had a plan to make her crush fall in love with her.

So, as usual, he was the only one of the four Lee siblings who was clueless when it came to matters of love.

Of course, he was also the only one at the girl's mercy. It wasn't like he'd be making the first move, which was kind of...terrifying. Jenrya liked to be in control of a situation.

But, then again, he could luck out. He was only thirteen, he might scrape by with no valentines offered to him. He almost hoped that that would be the case.

Not because he didn't like girls. Girls weren't all bad. Girls were okay. Two of his close friends were girls.

 _That_ was why he hoped he didn't get a valentine. He kind of wished that one of those two girls was a little more than a close friend.

* * *

Ruki--better known by her nickname, Rika--Makino sat outside of her private school, eating lunch alone on the roof, like always.

She hated her school, and she really wished that she could go to public school where her few friends were. Most of the girls in her school were rich, and they made sure everyone knew it.

Not that Rika came from a poor family. She was the daughter of a supermodel, after all. But that didn't matter to her. She didn't like hanging with the snotty cheerleader type, and she was pretty much the only one in her all-girl school who wasn't the snotty cheerleader type.

And today was worse than most days. The worst day of the entire school year.

Valentine's Day.

Rika hated Valentine's Day. As if her classmates weren't annoying enough when they talked about boys, they had to create an entire holiday just to give them the chance to talk about them even more.

What was this whole deal with guys and girls? If a guy liked a girl, and/or vice versa, why did they have to make a big deal of it? Most of Rika's friends were guys, and things were never awkward because of it. She supposed that if one of the guys was to admit that he liked her that way, she'd--she'd...

She wasn't sure. It'd depend on the guy. And why they liked her. And what they wanted out of it.

Rika sighed. Most of the girls at school thought that the world _revolved_ around boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. A breakup was devastating, and a new relationship was big news. And, of course, the boy had to be "suitable". Rika knew that "suitable" was the code word for "cute and rich". "Brains" and "personality" and "love" simply were not part of the equation.

She could only hope that the school day would end quickly so she could get to her real friends.

* * *

Juri, Takato, Jenrya, Hirokazu and Kenta were sitting in a circle under a tree on the school grounds. Jenrya was leaning against the tree.

"I thought lunch was never going to get here," Kenta said, chomping into a sandwich.

"Me either," Hirokazu agreed, opening his sack lunch.

"This school day has been the longest since the day we went to the Digital World," Jenrya said, "And it's only half-over."

"I know whatcha mean, Jen," Takato said. "It's been the worst."

Juri listened in silence. The only thing she could think of to talk about was the Valentine's Day present tucked away in her backpack, and she didn't want to talk about that just yet. Not until after school.

"What's making this day different?" Hirokazu asked.

Jenrya had a theory. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't focus today, and nobody--but _nobody_ \--passes notes in my class."

Hirokazu pointed at Jenrya and spoke with a mouth half-full of food. "That, my friend, is because you have the toughest teacher in the entire school."

Jenrya made a face. "At least he makes sure we get good grades, Kazu."

Hirokazu sweatdropped.

Kenta shook his head. "You guys all seem to be forgetting what day it is."

Takato wrinkled his nose. "It's Valentine's Day. So?"

"So, we're all nervous that some girl is going to make an idiot out of us, and _that_ is what's making the day drag on."

Juri wasn't upset, but she felt a need to set her friend straight. "Wait a minute, Kenta. We girls don't set out to embarrass you guys." She giggled, remembering something she'd gotten in an e-mail once. "It's just that most of you are the do-it-yourself types."

"Hey!" Hirokazu, Kenta, and Takato said in unison.

Jenrya smiled. "Guys...you might be proving her point."

They all sweatdropped. "We can't win," Takato said.

"Speaking of Valentine's Day," Juri said, trying to change the subject, "I wonder what Rika's doing."

"Probably nothing, considering she goes to an all-girl school," Takato said.

Jenrya shook his head. "Are you kidding? She's probably trying to lie as low as possible so she doesn't have to listen to all the other girls talking about guys."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I don't see what all the fuss is," Hirokazu said.

"Me either," Kenta agreed.

Juri rolled her eyes. Hirokazu and Kenta were so immature...

* * *

Rika changed out of her uniform and into street clothes in the school bathroom and stuffed the uniform into her backpack, glad to be out of the skirt. She couldn't see how Juri--or any other girl--could like it enough to wear mostly skirts.

She rushed away from the school grounds and her classmates, over to the next neighborhood, where the park was.

She walked up the sidewalk towards the steps that led to Guilmon's little house.

"Rika!" Guilmon cried happily. "Let me out!"

She leaned against the gate to catch her breath. "No way, not 'til Takato and the others show."

"Aww..."

"I brought you something, though." She opened her backpack and pushed her uniform to the side. It was getting wrinkled, but it needed to be washed anyway. "Here!" She pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a paper napkin and handed it to him.

He sniffed it. "Ooh, peanut butter!"

"I figured you'd like it. It's called peanut butter cake. Grandma baked it last night."

Guilmon had devoured it before she finished her first sentence. "Good!" he declared. "Where's Takato?"

"He's late, that's what."

"Ohhh..." Guilmon leaned his head forward, pressing against the fence.

"Hey, Rika!" Takato and company arrived on the scene.

"About time you showed up, Goggle Brain. Your poor digimon here is about to keel over."

"Takatomon's here! Yay!"

Takato opened the gate and Guilmon stepped out. "You coulda let him out, you know."

Guilmon blinked at Rika. "See?"

Rika just huffed.

"Hey, Takatomon, Rika brought me peanut butter!" All was forgiven.

* * *

After the six put in a hard day's play, the group began to break up. Hirokazu and Kenta had to get home for dinner, and Takato had to leave, too. "My mom will kill me if I don't get my homework done before dinner."

"That'll be the fourth time she's killed you this week," Rika reminded him.

Takato sweatdropped. "Yeah, I think so...if it's not the fifth...I...gotta go..."

Juri smiled. "Hey, Takato, I'll walk with you, if you want."

Takato shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He started to walk away from the bottom of the stairs and Juri went with him.

* * *

When they were out of earshot of the other two, Juri took her backpack off her shoulder and started to dig through it, still walking.

"Whatcha lookin' for?" Takato asked.

"You'll see..."

Takato wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"Found it!" Juri giggled. She put her backpack back on and held out her prize to Takato. "Um...this is for you...Happy...Valentine's Day."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Um, Juri...I...oh, nevermind." He reached out and took it.

"Open it!"

He did. It was chocolate, of course. "Um...thanks, Juri."

"Takato?"

"Yes?"

"I...I like you."

Takato drew in a breath. "In...in that way?"

Juri blushed. "Yeah. I know I said I didn't, and I really didn't, then...but I do now!" She stopped, and he did too. She smiled expectantly.

"Um...Juri?"

"Yes, Takato?"

"I...I...I like you, too."

"Really?"

He nodded.

" _Really_?"

"Yes, really."

They both stood there for an awkward moment.

"Um, Juri?"

"Yeah?"

Takato quickly stepped up to her and kissed her. He was going to make it a quick, simple, peck, but it turned into a longer kiss, sweet and precious.

When he pulled away, all she could do was blink. And blush.

"Do you wanna be my girlfriend, Juri?"

Her whole face lit up, and she hugged him around his neck. "Yes!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Jenrya and Rika were the only ones left at the park. They were standing on the bottom step, leaning against opposite walls of the stairwell.

"Not in a hurry to get home?" Rika asked.

"I may as well give Terriermon a few more Susie-free minutes when I can. Besides, he seems to be having a lot of fun with Guilmon."

They both looked up towards the top of the stairs, but it was hard to see much due to the curve of the staircase. That's why it made such a good hiding place. However, they could both hear Guilmon cry, "You're it!" and laugh.

Jenrya rolled his eyes. "Some digimon can be just like kids."

"Those two are," Rika agreed.

"So, how did _you_ r day go?"

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being good...I'd give this day a minus thirty-six."

"Ouch..."

"You're telling me. I swear, every girl in school thinks I'm a walking freak show, just because I didn't give away some stupid valentine..."

"You don't like Valentine's Day?"

"Oh, the day itself, the holiday, that's fine. Love, boyfriends, romance...it's okay for the people who want to celebrate. It's just that the way the other girls act that grates on my nerves. They all think that you're some kind of social outcast if you don't have a boyfriend or give a valentine away. They focus more on giving a valentine than they do about caring about who you give it to. I think that you should really care about a guy before you just...throw away your heart and emotions on someone who's going to dump you for the first prettier girl he sees."

Jenrya nodded.

"Sorry, Jen. I didn't mean to dump on you."

"It's okay, Rika. Everyone has to vent sometime."

"Yeah, but usually my idea of venting is to kick the walls in my room."

Jenrya laughed. "There are better ways. Talking's one of them."

Rika shrugged.

He nodded. "I'm serious. You can always talk to me."

She tilted her head at him. She had the feeling that he was skirting an issue that he wanted to talk about. "Yeah. I know. But that doesn't mean you'll understand."

"Maybe not, but you know, sometimes just the talking helps."

A silence hung between them, interrupted only by exchanges of tags between Guilmon and Terriermon.

Jenrya finally broke it. "I...agree with you. About the whole valentine thing. I mean, Susie's giving away valentines. She's only five. She doesn't know anything about love, you know?"

"Yeah...wait a minute, Jen, you do?"

Jenrya blushed. "Well...I know a lot more than she does. And I know that I love you, Rika."

Rika gasped, and blushed, and looked away. That was definitely what he'd been trying to get up the nerve to say.

"Rika..."

She couldn't look at him. It wasn't that she didn't like him. She'd thought about him that way a couple of times, even, but she'd never dreamed that he cared about her that way.

"Rika?"

Her continued silence made him sure that she didn't hate him for saying it. She would have regained her composure and slapped him by now.

He tentatively reached out his hand, placing two fingers under her chin and turning her face to look at him. She had a very confused expression on her face.

He leaned close and kissed her.

She didn't pull away or slap him.

In fact, she put one arm around his shoulder and started kissing back--the last, but best reaction he'd imagined.

Finally, they broke apart.

She shook her head. "You...you love me, Jen? Me? Tough-as-nails, throw-the-first-punch, all-she-owns-is-jeans Rika Makino?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah. I do."

"Since...since when?"

"For a long time, Rika. A very long time. Before we ever went to the Digital World. But Rika, how do you feel about me?"

She looked down, and then looked him straight in the eye. "I never thought that any guy would be able to see past the tough-girl front...but you did...and...I'm just kind of shocked right now...but...I...I...I think I love you, too."

Jenrya heaved a sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to kill me for admitting it."

She grinned. "At least you have proof that I'm not lying when I say that I love you."

"Yeah..." he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. "So...we're...?"

"I'm not going to be like the girls at school. I'm not going to play games with your heart. I'm not going to say I love you and then not agree to be your girlfriend-- _if_ that's what you want, Jenrya-kun."

"That's what I want."

Rika smiled. "Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the season I'm least familiar with, and wow I'm seeing now that they really did a butcher job on Americanizing Jianliang Lee's name. (Thanks, AO3 tags.) When I wrote this I think fandom was largely using Jenrya Lee if they weren't using Henry Wong. I've been out of the fandom so long I don't even know.


End file.
